Malhavoc Press

Hyperconscious Sneak Peek: The Quietus Prestige Class

By Bruce R. Cordell

During the course of the Hyperconscious adventure, the characters have a memorable encounter with a quietus. Here is that new prestige class reprinted from the book as a sneak peek. —Ed.

The quietus uses the power of her mind to permanently eradicate the consciousness (and life) of other creatures, especially psionic creatures. Drawing on a suite of psionic abilities, the quietus finds that she can sneak when necessary, hide when the situation demands, deceive those who cannot be fought, and puncture with a psionic thrust the minds of those whose lives must end.

Psions who specialize in the discipline of telepathy most commonly pick up this prestige class. Those exploring the class find its arts useful for overcoming enemies of all types, whether psionic or mundane in mental character.

NPC quietuses work in guilds or hidden associations based in large cities, or they stay secreted away in a hard-to-find wilderness area. Sometimes they serve a more powerful quietus or group of quietuses. Only the most capable quietus willingly operates without any sort of support or backup.

Hit Die: d6

Requirements
To qualify to become a quietus, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nongood
Hide: 4 ranks
Knowledge (Psionics): 8 ranks
Manifesting: Ability to manifest mind thrust and ubiquitous vision

Class Skills
The quietus' class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (any) (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device (Cha). See Chapter Four: Skills in the Player's Handbook and Chapter Three: Feats and Skills in the Expanded Psionics Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the quietus prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A quietus is proficient with light armor but not with shields. A quietus gains no new proficiency with weapons.

Powers Known: At every level indicated on the class table, the quietus gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of quietus to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.

If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a quietus, she must decide to which class she adds the new level of quietus for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Savage Mind Thrust (Su): When a quietus attacks a vulnerable creature with a mind thrust power, the mind thrust penetrates the creature's mind even if the creature succeeds at its saving throw. A victim is considered to be in a vulnerable position any time it is within 30 feet of the quietus.

Normally, when the mind thrust power is used, a creature that makes a successful saving throw takes no damage
whatsoever. However, the ability of the quietus is such that even creatures that succeed at a saving throw take some damage: 1d6 at 1st level, and +1d6 every three quietus levels thereafter. If the victim makes a saving throw against an augmented mind thrust, the extra power points spent only deal extra damage on a 1-per-1 basis (instead of adding extra d10 of damage, as would be the case normally). A quietus can make a savage mind thrust only against creatures that are normally vulnerable to mind-affecting powers.

Crisis of Breath (Ps): The quietus learns the crisis of breath power even if she is normally too low a level to learn it. However, she cannot manifest it. Instead, once per day, the quietus can use the power as a psi-like ability (DC 10 + Charisma modifier + half manifester level). Manifester level is equal to the character's manifester level. The Difficulty Class is Charisma based.

Lethal Mind Thrust (Su): If a quietus studies her victim for 3 rounds and then makes a savage mind thrust that successfully deals damage, the attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (quietus' choice). While studying the victim, the quietus can undertake other actions so long as her attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the quietus or recognize the quietus as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the quietus' class level + the quietus' Intelligence modifier) against the lethal effect, the victim dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim's mind and body become enervated, rendering the victim helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per quietus level. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal savage mind thrust.

Once the quietus has completed the 3 rounds of study, she must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a lethal mind thrust is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the quietus does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before she can attempt another lethal mind thrust.

Mass Cloud Mind (Ps): The quietus learns the mass cloud mind power even if she is normally too low a level to learn it. However, she cannot manifest it. Instead, once per day, the quietus can use the power as a psi-like ability (DC 10 + Charisma modifier + half manifester level). Manifester level is equal to the character's manifester level. The save Difficulty Class is Charisma based.

Crisis of Life (Ps): The quietus learns the crisis of life power even if she is normally too low a level to learn it. However, she cannot manifest it. Instead, once per day, the quietus can use the power as a psi-like ability (DC 10 + Charisma modifier + half manifester level). Manifester level is equal to the character's manifester level. The save Difficulty Class is Charisma based.

* For those using the optional mindscape psionic combat system.

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Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Designation of Product Identity above, the Class Features and class advancement table of "The Quietus" is Open Game Content. "The Quietus" ©2004 Bruce R. Cordell. All rights reserved.